Tag: cai fan

This Stall In The CBD Serves ‘Thai Cai Png’ – Mix And Match Basil Pork, Green Curry For $5

Apart from a few exceptions, Thai food is something that you pretty much have to eat in a group — with most eateries serving dishes à la carte, it’s not possible for one person to get everything they’d want without overordering and burning a hole in their wallet.

Order the green curry, for example, and you’ll wish you had some basil chicken to go with it. Order both, and you’ll soon realise that even the smallest portions weren’t meant for a party of one.

Basil & Mint, however, changes all that.

Thai Food Meets Cai Fan

Located conveniently at the first level of Amoy Street Food Centre (a mere three minute walk from Tanjong Pagar MRT), Basil & Mint is a small, unassuming stall that makes full use of its limited space — the storefront is lined from end to end with cooking pots, filled with an assortment of Thai-inspired meat and vegetables.

This isn’t the result of poor space management, though — unlike most eateries that make you commit to a single dish, Basil & Mint operates on a cai fan-esque system instead, where you can mix and match different dishes to create the perfect plate of Thai food.

And in true cai fan fashion, it’s incredibly affordable too, with prices starting from $5 for the classic order of one meat and two vegetables. If that isn’t enough, additional meat and vegetables go for a reasonable $2 and $1 respectively as well.

The mind (and hands, considering that she cooks and serves the food as well) behind Basil & Mint is a woman who goes by the name of “Vee”. She’s not Thai, but her previous job in the airline industry did allow her to make many Thai friends, who then taught her how to cook their native dishes in an authentic way.

Made With Love

Having ordered two plates, my team and I were able to sample pretty much everything that was available (considering that it’s a one-woman operation, it’s understandable that the selection isn’t as extensive as an actual cai fan stall).

While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it’s better than the food I’ve had in Bangkok, there is a distinct, home-cooked feel to everything — the general taste is something I can best describe as “hearty”, and you can really tell that Vee makes every single dish with love.

While select dishes like the moo palo (AKA Five-Spice Pork) are packed with flavour, others like the basil chicken and bean sprouts are a little too light for my tastes.

That’s where the green curry comes in, though — providing a savoury kick without going overboard, the curry helps to unlock the flavour of other dishes, and everything comes together for an extremely satisfying bite. If there’s one thing that you have to order here, this is it.

Special mention also needs to be said about the portions — Vee is extremely generous when scooping from those cooking pots, and the standard $5 order is more than enough to get you into a food coma (whether that’s a good thing is a whole other thing altogether).

With a unique concept, wide selection and cheap prices, Thai food lovers owe it to themselves to give Basil & Mint a try. It takes all the hassle of choosing what to eat out of the equation, and provides a uniquely homely flavour that you won’t find in your average Thai eatery.

Basil & Mint — Thai Street Eats
Address: Amoy Street Food Centre – 7 Maxwell Road, #01-47
Opening Hours: 11:30AM – 2PM (Monday to Friday), 5PM – 8PM (Monday to Thursday)

Facebook

Also Read From Korean Sandwiches To Steaks, Here Are 10 New Eateries In Century Square Worth Checking Out

(Header Image Credit: Discover SG)

Singaporeans, Here’s What Your Go-To Hawker Food Says About You

It’s no secret that we Singaporeans love our food. We will queue for them, travel for them, pay for them; we will go to any lengths to get ahold of the foods we love.

While we’re always on the lookout for the next big food craze, we’ll admit, there’s a special place in our hearts for our very own local delicacies – our messy, greasy plates of char kway teow, our savoury, vinegary bowls of bak chor mee, our deliciously sinful, spicy bowls of laksa…

Most of us have a go-to local dish – the dish we head straight for when we’re in a food court; the one we miss when we’re out of the country; the dish we absolutely cannot imagine our lives without.

Whatever your go-to may be, it reveals plenty about you. Here’s what your go-to Singaporean food says about you:

1. Yong Tau Fu

You’re either someone who is very health conscious, or someone who likes to feel like you’re making at least some healthy choices in your life. You can be a picky eater, and when ordering food online, you will browse through the entire Deliveroo catalogue until you find something that perfectly suits your mood.

You like feeling like you’re in control at work, at home, and in life in general. You’re careful, meticulous, and reliable. You prefer to err on the side of caution and more often than not, you stick with the safer option.

2. Chicken Rice

You like your food like you like your days – good, but in a safe, predictable kind of way. You are a creature of habit and you truly believe you can eat chicken rice every single day.

You take great comfort in routine and familiarity, and you are faithful and loyal to the people and the things you love. You are simple, easy-going, and you don’t sweat the small things.

3. Laksa

You live for a bit of risk. You’re adventurous, fiery and passionate. You say go big when others say play it safe. You’re always jio-ing your friends to try cool new eateries with you and you’re often drawn to the most unusual items on the menu.

The Deliveroo catalogue is like a playground to you, and you often have a hard time nailing down what to eat, and where you should even order from. Novelty and things that are outrageous excite you, and you constantly seek out these experiences in your life.

4. Bak Chor Mee

You’re someone with very particular tastes. With food and with every other aspect of your life, you know exactly what you want, and you will go out of your way to get it. You have your go-to pick for everything from the supermarket, to the place you do your hair, to the app you use to order your food. If Deliveroo is your go-to, there’s a good chance you’re sticking with it till the end of time.

While you do get distracted once in a while, you always remember to get back on track – that’s just the laser-focused kind of person that you are.

5. Char Kway Teow

Your favoute phrase is ‘treat yo’self’ and you whip it out as often as you can. You love indulging in the things that make you happy and you couldn’t care less what others have to say about it. You’re independent, smart, sassy, and have a mind of your own. Whether it’s bubble tea, pasta, or Chinese food, your Deliveroo order is always at least a little bit different from the rest – and you take pride in that individuality.

Aside from the ones closest to you, what others say or think about you and your decisions don’t faze you. When your mind is made up, there’s no stopping you.

6. Cai Fan/Nasi Padang

You’re an impatient character and you want your food, chop chop, right now. You don’t ask for your food to be amazing – decent is good enough. While you’re normally quite sui bian when it comes to food, you like to spoil yourself once in a blue moon. That’s when you go all out, ordering all the delicious grub you’ve heard and read about.

That said, food is not where your passion lies. You prefer to spend your time, effort, and energy improving yourself, nurturing your interests, or on your work; these are the things that give your life meaning, and you pour yourself wholeheartedly into them.

7. Roti Prata

You’re the life of the party. You have plenty of close friends, and you’re the person everyone calls (or texts) to talk to in the middle of the night. You’re outgoing, extroverted, a little bit cray, and you believe in making good memories over food.

To you, both with food and with people, the more, the merrier. You’re always that person who orders extra sides to share – and you’re happy to pay for it too. You’re all about having a good time, and your infectious energy never fails to light up the whole room.

Were your food “readings” accurate?

We Singaporeans are spoiled for choice when it comes to good food. Now, we’re even more spoiled by Deliveroo, who will bring all these tasty hawker staples right to our door step! (Well, all except for cai fan, but you can always order tze char and make your own cai fan.)

Whether you’re up to your neck in work at the office or decide to spend a lazy day at home, Deliveroo is just a couple of clicks away, and they’ll have all your dining needs covered!

This article is written in collaboration with Deliveroo.  

Also read Lady M Created A Light-Up Lantern For Its Mooncakes, Because Boxes Are So Mainstream